Edward Moreno likes to say he and his wife/business partner Megan evolved in their coffee drinking.
Like most young college kids, the former high-school sweethearts and Benson natives started out drinking Starbucks while attending the University of Arizona. As their palates became more refined, they drifted to boutique coffee roasters including Savaya Coffee Market and Yellow Brick Coffee.
And when the couple returned to their hometown and settled into married life, they started roasting their own beans.
They shared their newfound coffee roasting hobby with friends and family to rave reviews. And then it hit them: Let’s do this on a larger scale.
They opened Mo Coffee Roastery earlier this year. The couple run their boutique coffee roasting business in between their full-time jobs — he’s an engineer, she’s a stay-at-home mom to their 2- and 4-year-old kids.
The couple sources the beans from an importer who deals directly with farmers, and sell their coffee at a Benson coffee shop and ice cream parlor. It’s available for retail sale at a Benson gift shop.
In June, the couple tip-toed into the Tucson market, setting up a table at Trail Dust Town on the east side for the weekly farmers markets. They sell hot and cold coffee drinks and roasted whole beans from 8 a.m. to noon Fridays.
Edward Moreno, 33, said he and Megan, 30, would love to turn Mo Coffee into a full-time venture.
“We want to see (Mo Coffee) grow, but we never want it to grow beyond what we can be a part of,” he said. “We would love to eventually have a brick- and-mortar location.”
Mo Coffee Roastery will set up from 8 a.m. to noon Friday, July 8, at Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. Details: getmocoffee.com
